Football: Erie offense on display in win over Skyline
LONGMONT — It was more of the same from Erie in Week 5 of the high school football season.
A defense flying to the ball, an offense multi-dimensional in its surgical execution. This sure didn’t look like a team that was demoted in this week’s CHSAANow.com coaches poll.
Blake Barnett threw touchdowns on the team’s opening two drives. Caleb Theisen had a dazzling punt return for a score called back, but answered with a series of house calls. And the Class 4A No. 7 Tigers got another harassing performance from their defense in a 49-0 win over Skyline at Everly-Montgomery Field Friday night.
The win moved Erie to 5-0 on the season. The style in which it did it, meanwhile, makes its drop from 6 to 7 in this week’s state polls all the more curious.
“We just got to keep playing our game, taking it week by week, seeing what we can do,” Theisen said. “Rankings really don’t matter.”
Barnett threw TD passes of 24 and 15 yards in the first quarter to ignite a fast start. Then in the waning seconds of the half, he hit Theisen on a screen en route to a 44-yard score to push the lead to 42-0, thus starting the mercy-rule running clock.
Barnett had all of his 198 passing yards at half along with a rushing TD. He was relieved by Evan Rearick after the break.
Theisen, for his part, scored on runs of 28 and 35 on his first two carries to push the lead to four touchdowns by the second quarter.
The senior, who is quickly becoming one of the most interesting running back prospects in the state, needed just four carries and two receptions to cover 141 yards and score three times by half. He finished with 187 yards of total offense.
So far this fall, Barnett has 18 total scores and Theisen has nine.
The Tigers have outscored teams 231-48.
“How we’re rolling right now, we’re going to get better,” Barnett said. “We’re just going to continue to work on our craft and we’re going to be a lot better.”
Skyline (3-2) was the latest team on the wrong end of a running clock against the power from Erie.
In the midst of their homecoming celebrations, the Falcons could neither stop Erie’s offense nor get their own going.
Skyline’s opening drive crossed midfield before it stalled. It fumbled on its 33 on its second possession and turned the ball over on downs the next. Erie countered with six TDs on six opening-half drives.
Afterward, Barnett and Theisen passed the spotlight.
“The O-line, the O-line,” Theisen said when asked about the offense’s proficiency. “Special shout out to John Pastore and Ryan McConnell. They stepped up and we can’t do anything without them.”
Added Barnett: “And our wide receivers were amazing. They were getting a lot of separation from guys. They were fun to throw to.”
From the start, Barnett connected on his first three throws, finishing off the first drive with a 24-yard TD pass to Caden Lettis.
He doubled the lead a bit later, hitting Jaylen Klickna for a 14-yard strike.
Then it was Theisen’s turn.
The senior shot up the middle for 28 yards to make it 21-0. On his next touch, he appeared to take back a punt 50 yards for the score. Shifting around defenders, breaking tackles, it was brilliant — but it was nullified by penalty.
Four plays later, Theisen scored anyway, going around the line before surging 35 yards down the sideline and into the end zone.
Erie hosts Silver Creek to kick off play in the 4A Northern 1 League next week. Skyline is at Greeley Central as Northern 2 gets underway.
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